South Africa & Dubai Explorer - 11 Days

Welcome to Johannesburg. On arrival, please make your own way to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure, or you may choose to join an optional city tour.

Optional: Half Day Johannesburg City Tour South Africa’s largest city remains the commercial heart of the nation and a powerful symbol of its transformation into the modern Rainbow Nation. This tour reveals the contrasts that define Johannesburg.We visit Constitution Hill, home to the Constitutional Court and the historic Old Fort Prison, and explore the inner city to understand the impact of the gold rush that shaped both Johannesburg and the country. The tour also includes a visit to the Maboneng Precinct, an impressive example of urban regeneration now filled with independent shops, restaurants, and creative spaces.

Johannesburg - Kruger National Park. This morning we embark on an orientation tour of Soweto, an area home to more than two million residents and a place central to South Africa’s modern story. We drive past the Hector Pieterson Museum and Mandela House before leaving the city and travelling through the Mpumalanga region. We continue via Graskop to Hazyview, just outside Kruger National Park. Dinner is included at the hotel this evening.

Today we explore the world-renowned Kruger National Park. Covering nearly 20,000 square kilometres, it is home to around 147 mammal species, including Africa’s celebrated Big Five: lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and rhino. We spend the day observing wildlife from the comfort of our coach as we traverse this remarkable landscape. Dinner is included at the hotel this evening.

Optional: Upgrade to an Open Vehicle Safari You may choose to upgrade to an open vehicle safari for a closer and more immersive wildlife experience. With experienced field guides and excellent visibility from the specially adapted vehicles, this is an ideal opportunity for photography and wildlife viewing across Kruger’s varied terrain.

Kruger National Park - Johannesburg - Cape Town - Stellenbosch. This morning we return to Johannesburg to board our flight to Cape Town. On arrival, please make your own way to the hotel in Stellenbosch. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Enjoy the day at leisure, or you may join an optional Winelands tour. Optional: Full Day Winelands Tour You may explore South Africa’s renowned Winelands, known for crisp whites and classic French-style reds. The region offers beautiful rural scenery and historic wine estates shaded by ancient oak trees. The tour includes visits to principal wine routes such as Paarl, Stellenbosch, and Franschhoek, with two tastings and a cellar tour.

Stellenbosch - Cape Town. After breakfast we travel back to Cape Town for a half-day orientation tour. We drive past the Castle of Good Hope, the country’s oldest surviving building, followed by the Company’s Garden. We continue past the Parliament Buildings, City Hall, and the Slave Lodge before heading to the colourful cobblestone slopes of the Bo-Kaap, known for its bright houses and strong cultural heritage. We then return to the hotel, or, weather permitting, you may join one of the optional excursions.

Optional: Table Mountain Cable Car Ticket With a cable car ticket you may ascend the iconic Table Mountain, where sweeping views reveal the city and coastline below.

Optional: Robben Island Boat Ticket Take a boat from the Waterfront to Robben Island, a poignant heritage site best known as the former prison of Nelson Mandela. For almost 400 years the island served as a place of exile and imprisonment. Since 1997 it has operated as a museum dedicated to South Africa’s complex journey to democracy.

Spend the day at leisure or join an optional full-day Peninsula Tour. This evening we enjoy a farewell dinner at the Gold Restaurant, complete with an interactive drumming experience.

Optional: Full Day Cape Peninsula Tour Explore the dramatic Cape Peninsula, including a visit to the Boulders Beach penguin colony and Cape Point Nature Reserve. During summer the tour includes Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden, while the winter programme features Groot Constantia, a historic wine estate founded in 1685.

Optional: White Shark Encounter You may join a thrilling White Shark encounter off the coast of Gansbaai. Following a full safety briefing, travel by boat to Shark Alley where you can observe marine life including seals, birdlife, seasonal Southern Right Whales, and of course the Great White Shark. A wetsuit and mask will be provided for those who choose to view the sharks from a secure cage at water level. No diving experience is required.

Cape Town - Dubai. Spend the morning at leisure before making your own way to Cape Town International Airport for your included overnight flight to Dubai.

On arrival in Dubai, you will be met and transferred to your hotel where luggage storage will be available. This morning we begin a half-day city tour of this dynamic metropolis. Despite rapid development, Dubai preserves its Islamic heritage through monuments such as the Jumeirah Mosque. We pause for photos before continuing to the historic district of Al Fahidi, home to traditional wind-tower houses and the Dubai Museum inside the 200-year-old Al Fahidi Fort. We then cross the creek by abra to explore the spice souk and the famous Gold Souk.

Optional: Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner Later in the afternoon, you may join a dune drive into the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. After watching the sunset from a high dune, continue to a Bedouin-style camp for a traditional evening with henna painting, camel rides, shisha, and a barbecue dinner accompanied by Middle Eastern entertainment.

Today is at leisure, or you may choose to join one of the optional experiences below.

Optional: Dhow Dinner Cruise You may dine aboard a traditional wooden dhow and enjoy an international buffet while viewing Dubai by night from the creek.

Optional: Full Day Musandam Experience Travel along the Musandam coastline aboard an Omani dhow. The day includes traditional hospitality, scenic mountain and coastal views, and time to relax on board while cruising through the fjord-like landscapes of Dibba Bay.

Today, make your own way to Dubai International Airport for your flight home.